It isn’t the happiest topic to broach but writing a will is something that every adult needs to think about. In the tragic event of someone’s passing, a well-structured will can make the difficult time immediately afterwards slightly easier on their friends and family. 

At Manak Solicitors, we approach the subject of will writing with an empathetic ear, years of experience and a drive to make the process as painless as possible for you and your loved ones.

With Manak Solicitors, the whole process can take less than two weeks. We will send you a draft will within a week of meeting you. Once approved by you, we will endeavour to schedule a meeting to sign the will within the following week.

Why Write A Will?

Writing a robust and clear will is one of the most important measures you can make to ensure that your assets, finances and possessions are protected after your passing; ensuring that your loved ones receive what you want them to with minimal complications. You’re not just protecting your legacy, you’re helping the ones closest to you feel secure before and after you’re gone.

Some of the reasons why you should ensure that you write a will include:

• You can appoint trusted people (Executors) to administrate your assets once you have passed
• You can pass on specific gifts, such as cash or possessions to specific people and family members
• You can nominate guardians to look after your children or dependents
• You can direct where your residuary estate is to pass
• You can protect your family home by allowing your partner to continue living in it, while ultimately passing it to children or other beneficiaries
• You can specify your funeral wishes to make the process simpler for your family

If you pass away before writing a will, everything you leave behind will be divided according to the fixed rules of intestacy. This essentially means that your assets and possessions will be divided among your surviving relatives subject to a set law, and not through the wishes of yourself and your loved ones. This could lead to a situation where people you would like to benefit from your estate receive nothing and could leave your beneficiaries open to an unnecessarily large tax bill.

How much does it cost to make a will?

The cost of hiring a solicitor to ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible and that your intentions are clear is well worth the investment. If your will isn’t legally secure, your family could incur the cost of expensive legal battles or unnecessary tax bills.

With that in mind, Manak Solicitors have a fixed rate when it comes to drawing up wills:

• Single will: £250 plus VAT
• Mirror wills for a couple: £400 plus VAT
• Asset protection will per person: £450 plus VAT (£1080 for both)
• Declaration of trust: £450 plus VAT

Do you need a Solicitor?

Yes, you absolutely should work with a Solicitor when drawing up your will. If you write your own will, there is a genuine risk that you won’t sign it in accordance of the law, or you use language that can be misinterpreted or manipulated after your death.

Many people who would consider themselves beneficiaries of your estate that you might not can enlist the services of their own Solicitor to take advantage of any loopholes you may have inadvertently included in your will to stake a claim to your assets. You can protect your estate and your beneficiaries by contacting Manak Solicitors and ensuring that you leave behind exactly what you intend to.